Lake Superior State University's campus Health Care Center in Sault Ste. Marie will shift to a new operator after the university announced Monday, Aug. 17, that it is transitioning the clinic to Alcona Health Center, a nonprofit federally qualified health center already running 28 locations across northern Michigan.

The handoff is already underway. The 120-day transition began July 27 and is expected to wrap up around Nov. 24, according to LSSU's announcement. Current clinic staff will stay in place through the transition and can join Alcona afterward.

"The Health Care Center has been an important resource for our community for many years. We're committed to ensuring this service continues," LSSU President David Travis said in the announcement.

The move followed federal approval. The Health Resources and Services Administration signed off on Alcona's Change in Scope request, a required step for a federally qualified health center to add a new service site.

For students and Sault Ste. Marie residents who use the campus clinic, the practical upshot is continuity under a different banner. Alcona Health Center serves patients regardless of ability to pay, participates in Medicaid, Medicare and most commercial insurance plans, and offers an income-based sliding fee program for lower-income patients. The organization provides medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and other integrated services.

Alcona CEO Nancy Spencer, herself an LSSU graduate, said the organization is honored to partner with the university and looks forward to supporting the health of students and the broader community. Spencer's organization, originally established in 1978 in Lincoln, Mich., according to Alcona's website, operates clinics in six counties across northern Michigan and the eastern Upper Peninsula, including a Pickford Medical Clinic already serving Chippewa County.

LSSU said additional details about services and future operations will be shared as they become available. The university did not specify a public comment period or formal completion date beyond the 120-day window. Residents with questions can contact LSSU Marketing representative Connor Tetzlaff.